Destinations / Northern region

Monastery Piva | Pluzine, Montenegro

The monastery Piva is located in Pluzine, located in the village of Goransko near Lake Mratinje. It is considered to be one of the most important Orthodox monasteries in Montenegro. Long time ago it was located at the spring of the River Piva, in order for it to be moved later to another location because of the construction of a dam and accumulation lake for the needs of hydro – electrical power station.

Moving the church stone by stone

The movement of the church lasted for about 12 years and what is characteristic for this monastery is that the old church has been transferred stone by stone (the old church was un-built, and from that same stone a new church in another place was built), 9 kilometers away from Pluzine, in village Goransko, near lake Mratinje. From the walls of the church 1.260 square meters of paintings was removed and once again put back.

Built between 1573 and 1586

The monastery church of Uspenja Bogorodice was built between 1573 and 1586 with a lot of effort invested by Herzegovina metropolitan Savatje, later a Serbian patriarch. Beside the architectonic value, which this church has, its value is also seen in its pictures. Unknown Greek painters painted the majority of the pictures between 1604 and 1605. The upper part of the monastery was painted by pope Strahinja from Budimlje who painted Bogordicinu himnu (Holy Mother of God’s anthem). Lower zones are the work of painter Kozma in the year 1626. This painter also created the majority of the icons on a gilded iconostasis.

Psalter of Djuradj Crnojevic from 1495

The monastery owns a great treasury: Psalter of Djuradj Crnojevic from 1495, “omofor” of Savtije Sokolovic from 1568, personal belongings of Bajo Pivljanin – national hero, and many other things. The Monastery's Treasury is well known for the abundance of ritual objects and liturgical books, part of which has been exhibited in Monastery's Museum.